Super Bowl

As most of the the Western world knows, Super Bowl XLI is being played this Sunday (if anything, at least the existence of this game keeps us aware of Roman numerals). I am a football fan of some degree, not the kind that knows every player on every team, or about all the different blocking schemes or what a "cover II" defense is, but I can watch a game and know what's going on. Since my team is the Detroit Lions, who have not won a championship in my lifetime and have never really come close, I never have much of an emotional investment in the game.

I am rooting for the Indianapolis Colts in this game. I have nothing against the Chicago Bears, the team with a lunch-bucket persona, which perfectly fits that city. But I'm a fan of Peyton Manning, the Colts' quarterback, and Tony Dungy, their coach. Manning, who seems to be a fan of the game as well as a player, has all the right qualities that I like in a professional athlete. He's a student of the history of the game, aware of the legacy of those who came before him. He has a sense of humor about himself, judging by his press conferences and the myriad commercials he makes, and he seems free of arrogance. For years now he has had to live with the label of "choker," after regularly getting knocked out of the playoffs by the Patriots and then last year in a shocking defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The win last Sunday over the Patriots, in thrilling comeback fashion, made me feel good, not only for Manning but also for his coach, Tony Dungy. Dungy is a soft-spoken man who also seems free of arrogance, unlike the so-called geniuses like Bill Parcells, Jimmy Johnson and Bill Belichick. He went through a very difficult period last year at this time when he had to coach in the playoffs after the suicide of his son. When the Colts, who were the juggernaut team of last season, lost to the Steelers, it seemed too cruel. That he and the team have bounced back so quickly is heartwarming.

Dungy is also a native of Jackson, Michigan, the birthplace of my mother. I believe my grandmother knew his parents way back when.

So, on Sunday amid all the hoopla, nothing would make me feel better than a Colts' victory.